Gundam SEED: Moon Chapter
by Prince-in-Disguise
Summary: See the world through a child's eyes. To young Athrun and Kira, the world is still a very small place and the ups and downs of everyday life are their biggest adventures. A story about Athrun and Kira's childhood adventures on the Moon.
1. Phase01: Mystery of the Missing Suitcase

**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and all it's characters are the property of their respective owners.**

**Phase 01: Mystery of the Missing Suitcase **

A dark blue object lay abandoned in the empty hall. Whether it had been forgotten or left there purposefully was not a known fact. The fact was that its owner was no longer here and the object still remained. A pair of hands snatched it from the cold floor and whisked it away, perhaps never to be seen again.

**---**

The sky was bright and the weather perfect. Only a few white clouds floated overhead. He loved watching the birds chase one another in a game of which only those with wings knew the rules. The wind in his hair was just right and he found himself wishing he could join the birds up there. It was all so relaxing, one could almost forget it was just another school day.

"Kira, are you listening?" his best friend's voice came from beside him.

"Huh? Were you saying something?" Kira started, scratching his head. It was not that he had purposefully ignored Athrun. It was more like he forgot to listen from time to time. He was not sure why this kind of thing happened to him so often. Athrun always said that all he needed to do was get his head out of the clouds. Kira's innocent smile soon melted into an apologetic grimace under the scrutiny of Athrun's emerald eyes. This brought an exasperated sigh from his childhood friend. "I'm sorry… I guess this subject just isn't really my thing…"

"That's not true, Kira!" Athrun objected, looking quite upset at Kira's sudden surrender. He really did not have to worry about it that much, but he just wanted to help Kira, after all. Athrun plunked the useless textbook down on the grass beside him and stretched out to lie on his back. Kira watched his best friend close his eyes thoughtfully, probably gathering all the right words for the inevitable lecture that would follow. Kira wanted to make a face just thinking about it. When those vivid green eyes opened again, Kira groaned inwardly. What he saw was Athrun's lecture face. "How do you hope to understand it if you don't even try? I'll explain it to you again, but you have to promise you'll pay attention this time."

"Okay, okay…" Kira replied sullenly. Athrun was so resolute when it came to homework that it was not hard to understand why he was the best student in their class. Kira's mom often commented on how she wished "Athrun's responsible attitude" would rub off on him. "Just let me get out my notebook." In a way it was a good thing that his friend was so dependable. It was nice to have someone to lean on when you felt completely lost.

"Good idea," Athrun nodded approvingly, "that way I can test you on it too."

Kira was about to stifle another groan as he turned to open his suitcase when his hand froze in mid-air. An icy feeling settled over his stomach.

"Uhhh… Athrun…?"

"Yes?"

"Not funny! Where'd you hide my suitcase?" Kira demanded as he rounded on his best friend. But Athrun was looking at him with a rather startled expression, and not a trace of mischief showed in his concern-narrowed eyes.

"I didn't hide your suitcase, Kira!" he defended. "Are you sure you brought it outside with you?"

"I-I dunno!" Kira exclaimed. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried really hard to remember. "Eh… I remember taking it out of the classroom, but…" Suddenly the implications of his suitcase being missing struck him like a brick against his forehead. "My suitcase can't be gone! What am I gonna tell Mom!?"

"We'll have to retrace our steps," Athrun suggested calmly, already gathering his books and stuffing them into his suitcase. "I'm sure we'll find it somewhere along the way!"

"R-Right…!" Kira agreed, following Athrun as he crossed the school yard in the direction they had come. The sickening sensation of fear writhing in the pit of his stomach did not exactly go away, but seeing his best friend's confidence did soothe it a little.

---

Athrun was getting worried. By the end of second break Kira still could not remember where he had left his suitcase. The bell was calling everyone to their next classes and his best friend was on the edge of tears. He had to practically drag the bleak-looking Kira along to get to class on time. They met up with Jordi and Alex outside the classroom. The two of them were absorbed in a heated discussion over what the best sandwhich ever made might contain. Jordi being the connoisseur, Alex often seemed to find himself just nodding no matter what he thought. There was no arguing with Jordi about tastes in food. Either you liked what he liked, or you had to silently agree to disagree. Athrun found himself doing the latter more often than not.

"Hi, guys!" Alex greeted at hearing Athrun approaching, the two of them having finally looked up from their intense conversation. Noticing Kira's gloomy expression, his eyes softened with sympathy immediately. Alex had a very caring nature. "Kira, what's wrong?"

"My… I lost… my…"

"His suitcase is missing," Athrun clarified, fearing that poor Kira might well burst into tears if he was left to flounder around in his own words for much longer. "We've looked everywhere I can think of."

"Maybe it got wings and flew off!" Jordi teased, chuckling at his own lame joke. Alex just eyed him sideways. He did not find it particularly funny either. Kira was turning pale, as if he thought it was actually possible for a perfectly normal suitcase to sprout wings and take flight. Honestly!

"Don't worry, Kira! I'll go look for it!" Alex announced, pumping a fist in the air vigorously. "I'll find it for you in no time!"

"What, now!?" Athrun blurted out in spite of himself. He knew Alex was impulsive, but… cutting class!? "Are you serious? You can't cut class, Alex! You'll get caught! Besides, we'll have more time to search once school's out! I mean, it's not like the thing really has gotten wings, you know!"

"It doesn't matter! I'm not afraid of getting caught!" Alex boasted, slamming his fist to his chest confidently.

"There's something you're forgetting here, Alex," Jordi interjected before Athrun could open his mouth to reply. "If you get caught, who's the one who will eventually get in trouble for this whole mess?" All eyes went to Kira involuntarily, and he gave a nervous little gulp.

"You're right," Alex admitted, studying his feet. "I don't want Kira getting in trouble for my cutting class. There'll be enough time to—"

The four boys fell silent as a trio of giggles came traipsing in their direction. The three girls coming past made a train of staring eyes, snooty looks and pinched noses fixed in the air at a snobbish angle. Merri-Anne with her long, ruby braids and mercilessly mischievous grin was the first to prance into the classroom in her insanely girly fashion. There was no better way to describe it. Elmary, the tallest girl in their class and also the brains behind this trio of terrorists, studied them over her silver-rimmed glasses like a bird studying four insects it considered prey, as she followed Merri-Anne inside. The third girl, possibly the worst of them all, was rather short, with close-cropped orange curls framing a pair of poisonous green eyes in a heart-shaped face. Collina actually smirked as her gaze caught Athrun's. He managed not to shiver until she broke off the stare and was well out of his line of sight.

"They give me the creeps…" Jordi breathed behind him. Athrun wanted to agree, but decided that this was not the best time for discussions.

"Let's hurry inside," he replied instead. "Or we'll be late."

"Right!"

---

Kira sighed unhappily as he stared right through the teacher who was talking in the front of the classroom, about some or other important thing related to some or other complicated matter that was supposed to be important. With his suitcase still missing, he ended up borrowing stuff from his friends just to be able to get some work done; Jordi's ruler, a few blank pages torn haphazardly from Alex's notebook… Athrun even let him borrow that pen of his, the one with the little electronic critter fixed at the back. Kira smiled at that. The little gadget even made a miniature light show whenever it was used to write. Athrun had constructed the thing out of boredom. His left arm was broken at the time, from when he had that skateboard accident, and he could not play basketball with Kira and the others. Kira remembered feeling really bad for Athrun, being unable to join in the fun because his arm hurt. That was until he saw his best friend's face light up with pride as they all stared in awe while he demonstrated this latest novelty. Athrun was very good at things like that. Staring at the cute little robotic beasty, Kira realized that it was really an honour to be able to borrow this special pen. "Just don't chew the back, all right?" Athrun had said almost tenderly as he reluctantly handed the pen to Kira.

Despite this, his missing suitcase kept plaguing him in the back of his mind. Sure, it was nothing to just buy a new one – using his allowance, of course – but his mother would not at all be impressed with him at losing something so important. Besides, he thought miserably as his stomach grumbled – an angry sound – his lunch box had been in there too! He caught a glimpse of Athrun glancing in his direction, probably to make sure Kira was not chewing the back of the pen. Kira sent his friend a grateful smile before proceeding to make some notes, the lights of the pen flickering merrily.

His hand scribbled away, but his mind worked even more furiously trying to work out where he could have left that suitcase. It might help if they asked around. He let his amethyst eyes travel across the kids sitting in the classroom. Someone should have seen it lying around somewhere, at least. After all, his suitcase was not small. Suddenly, as he spotted Collina and her two friends gossiping, a horrible thought entered his mind. What if one of them…? He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the terrible notion. They would not do something like that… would they? Collina turned to look in his direction and his breath caught in his throat. She was eyeing him the way a cat eyed a mouse it knew it had cornered. It was difficult to make himself remember that she could not possibly know what he was thinking. She could not! He forced himself to concentrate on the page in front of him. The squiggles dancing on the white sheet were becoming less and less legible. They had to find his suitcase as soon as school was out, otherwise this whole thing just might drive him nuts.

---

The bell signalling the end of the school day had not properly finished its chime when Alex dashed out the door into the hall. Athrun shook his head. He was not sure how the energetic boy managed to pack up so fast, but Alex was always the first one out of a classroom. He was never one to sit still for very long. Athrun took his time gathering his books and making sure nothing was left behind. By the time he came out, Kira, Alex and Jordi were waiting for him in the hall. For some reason they were all looking at him, like they expected him to say something. Or maybe they expected him to do something. Wait a minute… He knew those looks all too well.

"What?" he asked, suspicions rising. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"Kira's been thinking about who could have taken his suitcase," Jordi explained almost too casually. Why did he get the feeling that wherever this conversation was heading it would result in him doing some kind of dirty work?

"Taken?" he replied. "Kira, I thought you said you lost it…?"

"Well…" Kira said quietly. "Since we can't find it anywhere, it's logical to assume that someone must have taken it, right?" He looked around like he was afraid of that someone overhearing him.

"Kira, the school building is huge!" Athrun reasoned. "You could have left it anywhere! You can't just assume someone took it!" Was Kira serious about this? He could not be sure his suitcase had been stolen. Accusing someone of theft could have severe repercussions, especially if it turned out that that person was innocent. "Besides, why would anyone steal your suitcase?"

"Those delicious sandwiches his mom always makes are in there!" Jordi pointed out thoughtfully. Kira turned a shade paler at the mention of his lunch being swiped. Athrun was not sure if this was another one of Jordi's poor jokes. He was right, though. Kira's mom made the best sandwiches ever. He shook his head, putting that thought firmly out of his head. He had to think.

"That can't be it, Jordi," he said finally. "If the thief was after the sandwiches, why not just take Kira's lunch box? Why carry off the whole suitcase?"

"Athrun's got a point," Kira agreed softly, looking relieved, the hope of salvaging his lunch restored.

"That still doesn't help us find the suitcase, though," Jordi replied.

"So," Athrun sighed, "who do you think took the suitcase?" He was not convinced that someone would actually steal a suitcase for no apparent reason, but it was only fair to hear Kira out.

"I'm not really sure," Kira began. "It's just a kind of feeling I got…"

"It's gotta be those girls," Alex added quickly.

"Girls?" Athrun parroted. "You mean… Collina and her friends?"

"Who else would do such a despicable thing?" Alex argued. "I wouldn't put it past them to swipe Kira's suitcase just for the sake of being nasty!"

"But that's so… childish…" Athrun murmured. There had to be a better explanation for the disappearance of Kira's suitcase. Kira could have left it anywhere inside or outside the building. A teacher could even have found it abandoned in the hall.

"You think too much, Athrun!" Alex's frustration was clear in his voice.

"And what do you suppose we do? March up to them and demand they return Kira's suitcase?"

"That's where you come in!" Jordi announced with a grin.

"Me!?" Athrun gaped in disbelief. "Why can't Alex go instead?"

"ME!?" It was Alex's turn to stare, incredulity painting quite a silly expression on his face. "Oh man, you've gotta be kidding!"

"That is, unless you're scared of a couple of girls," Athrun added casually, pretending to be cool about it. He could see Alex's mouth trying to work out four different sentences at once. His predictable behaviour in a situation like this was Athrun's secret weapon against this kind of pressure. It took nothing short of a real beating for Alex to back down from a challenge. "I thought you weren't scared of anything…"

"I'm not scared!" Alex blurted out finally. "I'll show you guys! You just watch!" With that, he strutted off towards the group of girls huddled together conspicuously.

"Gee, he really isn't scared of anything, huh?" Kira commented, traces of awe evident in his voice.

---

Alex took his time in returning from what seemed like a suicide mission to Kira. He was really impressed with Alex's bravery. Kira did not think he would have had the courage to confront even one of those girls, nevermind all three at once.

"I'm getting worried…" Jordi whispered. "Shouldn't he have been back by now?"

"We'll wait a little while longer," Athrun replied calmly. Kira was getting edgy himself, and not just because of what those girls might do. Athrun and Kira should have started home ten minutes ago. His mom would start to worry if this thing dragged on too long. Alex's mom too. Jordi might even get locked out for tardiness. Both of his parents lived on PLANT, so Jordi stayed in the hostel and could only go home on certain weekends and during holidays. The matron in charge there was a stern woman whose wooden spoon was mightier than the sword, or so the rumours among the boarding kids said. Thinking all this through, Kira immediately felt terribly guilty for making Jordi late.

"Um… Jordi?" Kira cleared his throat. "Maybe you should head on to the hostel before you get in trouble…?"

"But, Kira, what about your suitcase!?" Jordi frowned stubbornly.

"I don't want you to get in trouble just because I lost my suitcase, OK?" Kira continued firmly. Disconcert painted Jordi's face, but he nodded after a while, if a bit grudgingly.

"OK," he sighed, shifting his suitcase under his arm, "but you give me a call the moment you find the thing, all right?"

"I will!" Kira called after him, and then remembered that that would also get Jordi in trouble. Though there was no written rule concerning the issue, untimely phone calls also seemed to be an offence in the matron's eyes. "Or I'll tell you about it tomorrow!" he added belatedly, a sweat drop sliding down his cheek.

"That's right…" Athrun mused out loud. "Your mom's going to be worried about us if we don't find your suitcase fast." Just then, Alex rounded the corner. He looked unscathed for the most part, though a bright red blush glowed hotly on his cheeks. Kira felt a lump of disappointment land in his stomach at noticing that Alex did not have his missing suitcase with him.

"What did they say?" he pressed.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Alex mumbled half under his breath.

"Do you think they're the ones who took the suitcase?" Athrun asked, straight to the point as usual.

"Either they're not the ones, or I've just witnessed some real good acting," was Alex's bitter reply.

"Ohhh, I give up!" Kira groaned, plopping down on the floor miserably. There was no way they would find the suitcase and get home in time without getting in trouble.

"Well, maybe it'll turn up tomorrow," Alex shrugged. "I'd better get going too, or my mom's gonna fry me." Kira felt like several layers of buildings were collapsing in on him at once. What was he going to tell his mom? "You're gonna be OK, right?"

"I'll be fine…" He just managed keeping the tears he felt collecting behind his eyes out of his voice.

"Sorry, Kira…" Alex said softly. "See you tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah…" He watched the other boy gather his things and jog in the direction of the exit, then turned to look up at Athrun. His best friend was standing very still, as if absorbed in deep thought. "Athrun?"

"I've got an idea," he said suddenly. "Come on!"

There was nothing for it but to follow his best friend's lead. The school's halls seemed to become increasingly dark and spooky, empty as they were. Kira and Athrun's shadows had stretched immensely in the few minutes that had gone by while they were waiting for Alex. Kira could only hope that Athrun knew where he was going. His friend seemed more determined than ever to solve this mystery. Kira felt a bit lost when they stopped in front of a rusty old door that stood half open on a sinisterly creaking hinge.

"What are we doing here…?"

"You'll see," Athrun replied with more confidence than Kira himself felt at that moment. "Let's just see if he's here…" He knocked twice on the old door, and the head of a dry old man peeped around it. His graying hair hung almost to his shoulders and his skin was dark and leathery. Kira could feel his knees quaking as the reedy man's dark eyes scanned the two boys under his nose.

"Yes?" The man's bone-dry voice creaked almost as much as the door's hinges.

"I'm sorry for bothering," Athrun answered smoothly, "but my friend here has lost his suitcase. I just wanted to ask if you saw a blue suitcase lying around somewhere. Have you, by any chance?" Kira realized that his mouth was hanging open at Athrun's amazing display of calm, and shut his jaws with a click. The old man blinked a few times, as if pondering Athrun's question thoroughly. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Kira barely suppressed the urge to jump.

"You mean something like this?" his harsh voice scraped through parched lips. He turned back into the dark little room behind the noisy door and when he came back, he produced a familiar dark blue shape. Kira's eyes widened as his missing suitcase slowly came into view. He was so ecstatic that he completely forgot to be scared.

"Yes! That's it!" he cried as the wrinkly old man held it out to him. "Thank you, sir! Thank you!"

"No problem," the man rasped in what Kira supposed was a friendly way. He hugged the suitcase to his chest as he and Athrun turned to leave. As glad as he was to have it back, there was nothing he wanted more than to get home as quickly as possible.

---

The trip home was mostly a silent one. Athrun was content with just smiling at the amusing look of relief mixed with puzzlement painting his best friend's features. He did not expect Kira to talk much then. After all, it must have been quite a tiring day for him. They were about to turn the corner leading into the driveway of Kira's home when Kira came to a stop. Athrun studied his friend's expression, puzzled by the sudden stop.

"What's wrong, Kira?"

"Nothing…" Kira replied. "I was just wondering… Who was that scary guy?"

"What… 'scary guy'?" Athrun blinked, even more confused now.

"The guy who had my suitcase," Kira clarified. Athrun had to work hard to hide his amusement. He thought Kira had been a bit nervous, but he had not realized that his friend was scared.

"Oh, that guy?" he smiled. "That's just the janitor."

"The janitor?" Kira gasped. "I thought he was a criminal!" Athrun could no longer contain himself and burst out laughing.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kira," he grinned, "but he's just a regular janitor." The expression covering Kira's face was one of absolute consternation, and Athrun had to force down another wave of laughter. Apparently realizing that further enquiry would only lead to being laughed at more, Kira resumed his pace. "I can't guarantee that he didn't eat your sandwiches, though!" Kira made a face that was somewhere between exasperation, disappoinment and surrender before clambering up the stairs to his house. Athrun smiled as he followed Kira inside.

"I'm home!"


	2. Phase02: A Dog's Day

**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and all it's characters are the property of their respective owners.**

**Phase 02: A Dog's Day**

It was a chilly afternoon and an icy breeze coming down the street tugged at their hair as Kira and his best friend, Athrun, were walking home at a somewhat listless pace. Athrun was kicking dirt with his shiny school shoes. The edge of a troubled frown was touching his features, and even though his friend had assured Kira that he was perfectly fine, Kira knew he was not. For one thing, Athrun was getting dust all over his freshly polished shoes, something he would never normally tolerate. On the contrary, he was always telling Kira to pick up his feet!

"Say, Athrun…"

"Hm?"

"You're not still upset over those test results, are you?" Kira prodded cautiously. Even though he was not sure he understood how having two marks less than usual could upset Athrun this much, what Kira did understand was that his friend's wounded pride was not something to be taken lightly. Athrun seemed a bit stunned for a moment, as if Kira had startled him out of his thoughts. Even though his friend had called him a dreamer more times than he cared to count, Athrun could just as easily lose himself in his own thoughts, if only when something was bothering him.

"Well, it's…" Athrun sighed, letting the rest of his sentence trail away without finishing it.

As the silence stretched between the two, Kira pondered a way to brighten his friend's mood. After all, two marks below an average so high that the rest of the class was left in the dust was hardly something to be depressed about! He could not simply pretend that it did not matter, though. It was important to Athrun. Very important. This situation required some thought…

"There's always a chance that everyone else did so badly that the whole class will have to take the test over again!" he exclaimed triumphantly. Athrun looked at him sideways, an amused expression dispersing the frown that had clouded his eyes.

"But, Kira, you hate redoing tests," he said with a laugh. Kira made a face as his friend's words shed light on the implication of what he had said. He scratched his head, unable to keep a silly laugh from slipping past his lips.

"I guess I do…" he admitted. He was about to say more, but a soft, whining noise caught his attention. "What's that sound?"

"Sound?"

They both came to a stop. The street was quiet except for the whistle of the wind and the occasional vehicle that drove by. Kira was about to dismiss it for imagination when it came again. A high-pitched, whimpering sound. It seemed to be coming from a shallow alley between two buildings. Dropping his suitcase, he hurried to the shadow-blanketed corner. He could hear Athrun's footsteps right behind him. That, and a shuffling sound that could only have been his suitcase being scooped up. Kira squinted, trying to see into the darkness. A pair of eyes was watching him intently from the shadows. Scooting a bit forward, Kira spread his hands in what he hoped was a friendly gesture. The round eyes watched him unblinkingly.

"Come on," he coaxed. He held his hands open with his palms up, so the animal could see that he was not holding something that could make him a threat. "Don't be afraid… Come on!" After a while, a puny nose poked out from the shadows. Making soothing sounds with the tip of his tongue, Kira held his hands just a little bit farther into the alley. He moved ever so slowly. He did not want to scare the creature. A few more moments passed before the animal finally decided that this human was trustworthy. Kira gasped as the creature revealed itself, a tiny thing wobbling towards him on young, unsteady legs. He felt his heart melt into a pathetic puddle in his chest as he watched the baby animal crawling ever closer. "Athrun, look!" His fingertips itched to reach out and touch its velvety fur, to scratch behind those floppy ears. "It's a puppy!"

At Kira's delighted cry, the baby dog's ears perked up and it let out a small bark. It came romping over rather clumsily, and he laughed as it practically fell into his lap to lick his hands and face. Caressing the pup's silky head, he looked up to share a smile with Athrun. While his best friend had a fair liking for dogs, Kira was absolutely crazy about them. Dogs were loyal and smart and really cool! The puppy barked again and nuzzled Kira's hand with its wet little button nose. It was so cute… What was it doing here all by itself? Had it been abandoned? Kira's heart ached at the thought. Who could leave such a lovely little creature out here to fend for itself? He felt tears of compassion collect in the corners of his eyes, and he hugged the fuzzy little animal tightly to his chest.

---

Athrun watched the scene unfold, smiling outwardly, but with an icy lump growing in the pit of his stomach. He could see where this was going. Kira really loved dogs. There was no way Kira would leave the dog here all by itself. Shifting his grip on both his suitcase and Kira's – the thing felt like a ton of bricks, no wonder Kira left it lying around everywhere! – he tried to think of the best way to resolve this situation with the least amount of heartache. As he watched his friend blissfully cradling the baby bundle in his arms, though, he felt a bit like a villain for having to break this up.

"Kira," he said finally, "we ought to get going…"

He was regretting it even before the words had properly left his mouth. His best friend looked up at him with such mournful eyes that he could just as well have snatched the puppy from out of his arms. The pup's eyes seemed to echo Kira's emotions, though Athrun doubted it had any clue as to what was going on. Oh, how he hated being the bad guy!

"Can't I take him home with me…?" Kira sniffed dejectedly. Athrun was sure he already knew the answer to his own question.

"You know your mom won't allow it, Kira…" he replied gently.

"I know… but…"

The wind pushed his hair into his eyes, but Kira was clutching on to the dog so stubbornly that he did not seem to take notice. Sighing despondently, Athrun kneeled next to Kira in order to place a supportive hand on his shoulder. He wished for the right words and ended up sighing again. Whatever he said, it would make no difference in the end. Kira's mom was fiercely allergic to dogs and no amount of right words could change that. No matter how Kira begged, that would not change anything either. Finally an idea came to mind.

"Come on, we have to get going now," he said slowly. "Your mom will get worried about us. We could always come and see him again after dinner." Kira looked up hopefully.

"Really?"

"Sure!" Athrun forced a smile. The crux of his evil plan was fairly simple – by the time dinner was over and Kira's mom let him run off to see the pup again, it would be long gone; run off, or adopted by some lucky passer-by who was not allergic to dogs. Oh, he really hated being the bad guy! "Come on, say goodbye."

"Right…" Kira sniffed and scrubbed an arm across his face. He looked the puppy in the eyes, putting on a brave smile. "I have to go now." The dog's ears seemed to droop a bit more than usual at that. "I'll come see you again, I promise! Wait here for me, okay?" It was heartbreaking to watch, so Athrun busied himself with tidying his shoes. Somehow he had managed to get an awful lot of dust on them! Frowning, he cleaned it off hurriedly.

Slowly, but surely, Kira tore himself away from the puppy. Athrun straightened and handed Kira his ten ton suitcase. He grasped it with impressive ease, apparently not even noticing that he was holding it. Now came the difficult part of the plan, Athrun realized as they set forth their short walk to Kira's house; stalling in every possible way.

---

Kira set down his knife and fork with a feeling of satisfaction. His mom really did make the best dinner there was to be found on this side of the moon! On the subject of food, he ought to take something along for the puppy too. The poor thing must be starved out there. He was already devising several different strategies to sneak out food. First, he needed an excuse to—

"Athrun, what's the matter?" his mom's voice broke into his thoughts. "You haven't touched any of your food!" He looked up to see his best friend's cheeks turn a rosy red. Kira's eyes stretched as wide as they would go. Was Athrun so upset about losing those two marks that he could not eat!? "Are you feeling sick?"

"I'm fine, Mrs Yamato," Athrun assured her as Kira's mom put a hand to his forehead anyway. This was serious! Kira had been so caught up in taking care of the abandoned puppy that he had completely forgotten about how disappointed Athrun had been by those test results!

"Are you sure?" his mom fussed. Athrun just nodded and resumed eating really slowly. As Kira watched his best friend, feelings of guilt began piling up inside him. He should have considered Athrun's feelings, but he had been so occupied with the little puppy that he had only thought of himself. Athrun was still eating when Kira's mom started washing the dishes. This was really disturbing. Kira watched his mom go about the chore all by herself. Normally, Athrun would be the one to help out with the dishes. Without further thought, Kira stood and grabbed a cloth.

"I'll help!" he cried, grabbing the nearest plate and dabbing it with the drying cloth. Athrun's jaw dropped and Kira's mom almost forgot to hold on to the soapy glass in her hands. "What…?"

"Are _you_ feeling all right, Kira?" his mom asked, a hint of a smile showing in her eyes and around the corners of her mouth. Kira stopped and blinked.

"Yeah…" he managed finally. "Why?"

"You never help with the dishes, Kira!" Athrun clarified.

"That's not true!" Kira protested indignantly, ready to toss the drying cloth in his hands at the grinning Athrun.

"Yes, it is!" his best friend laughed, and had to duck behind the table to avoid getting a damp cloth in his face. Well, whatever had been bothering Athrun, it could not have been too serious. He was struggling to hold back peals of laughter now. Kira felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, brightening his mood considerably. Pretty soon, he was laughing just as hard as Athrun.

---

Athrun felt pretty pathetic as he sat on Kira's bed, legs crossed, chewing his bottom lip and staring at nothing in particular. His scheme had utterly backfired. True, eating slower than he had ever done in his entire life had bought some time, but now Kira's mom was seriously worried about him. He had not anticipated her forcing him to stay indoors. He stared at the video game in front of him with supreme lack of interest, the three dimensional figures on the screen shifting restlessly, waiting for him to make a decision. He sighed and carefully set the controller down next to him on the bed. It was not a bad game – in fact, it was quite interesting – but his mind was focused on more perplexing matters. Kira had gone off in search of that puppy all by himself, and the weather had taken a turn for the worst. Looking out the window, he could see dark clouds massing together for a storm. He could just picture Kira staying out all evening in the pouring rain, looking for the lost dog. The image made him wince. It was all his fault. What if Kira caught a terrible cold because Athrun was not there to haul him back home? Or worse, what if he got himself kidnapped by some fiendish stranger? He was all by himself. His kind heart was so easily taken advantage of, especially because he had his head up in the clouds so much that he would not even realize what was happening before it was too late! These fears were eating him up from the inside. Unable to bear it any longer, he climbed off the bed and headed for the door. He would tell Mrs Yamato what was going on before Kira got himself into more trouble than he could handle. Just when he was about to grasp the door's handle, the large piece of carved wood flew open of its own accord and Athrun had to jump back to avoid being knocked over by it.

"Kira!" he gasped in surprise.

"Lemme in, quick!" Kira practically leapt into the room and came very close to slamming the door shut behind him before Athrun managed to intervene. He closed it properly, with as little noise as possible. As Kira plopped onto the bed, the video game caught his eye. "Athrun, you didn't even get past the title screen! What were you doing all this time!?"

"What's going on?" Athrun demanded. His eyes fell on the blue sports bag Kira was clutching to his chest. "Don't tell me…"

"He was right where we left him," Kira whispered, eyes sparkling. "I told him to wait for me and he did!"

"W-Wait a minute!" Athrun stammered as Kira began to undo the zipper on the bag. "You brought it here!?"

"Say hi to Athrun, Satomi!" Kira piped up. Athrun felt his jaw drop open shamelessly as the little dog tottered out of the bag and onto Kira's bed. It looked up at him with round eyes that glistened like two dark, polished stones.

"You _named_ it!?" he spluttered.

"Sure I named him," was Kira's simple reply. "He can't just be 'dog' for the rest of his life, right?"

"Have you even thought of what you're going to tell your mom when she sees him?" Athrun groaned, holding his head. "You can't keep him, Kira. You know that, right?"

"It was so cold out there…" Kira's eyes were hidden in his hair now, but Athrun was sure there were tears leaking from them. "I couldn't just leave him like that. He'd die for sure…"

Kira was a really kind person, always thinking with his heart. Athrun sometimes wished he could be more like that, but one had to be practical too. Doing something because your heart was in the right place did not always make everything turn out fine. On the other hand, doing only what was logical and practical did not get you very far either. You had to have a sound combination of the two in order to be successful. Maybe that was one of the reasons Athrun and Kira were such good friends. It sure was the reason they differed so regularly.

"I understand how you feel, Kira," he said finally, "but he can't stay here."

"Can't I just keep him for the night?" Kira pleaded, scooping the small pup into his arms and hugging it protectively.

"And if your mom finds out?" Athrun countered, fists planted in his sides. "Or worse, what if she has an allergic reaction?" Kira's eyes widened at that. As Athrun had suspected, Kira had not thought that far ahead.

"Th-Then—"

"No, Kira," Athrun interrupted firmly. He had Kira's attention. He had to lay out all the facts now, while he had the chance. "You _knew_ that your mother is allergic to dogs. You_knew_ that she wouldn't allow you to keep one. You _lied_ to her when you told her you were meeting Jordi after school—"

"OK, OK! I get it!" Kira cried. "But what are we gonna do about it!?"

"Well…" Athrun sighed. It was a typical scenario. Kira would get himself up to his neck in trouble and when things suddenly got out of hand, he would cry for Athrun to come drag him out of it. Athrun shook his head. Kira was already attached to the dog – he even named it! – so putting it back in the alley was out of the question. Confessing was always an option, but that would inevitably lead back to leaving the dog in the alley. Kira's mom was a very kind person, but rules were rules.

"Well!?" Kira practically yelped. He was echoed by the anxious puppy. It had probably sensed the mood in the room.

"Hold on, I'm thinking!" Athrun replied, pressing a knuckle to his forehead. But there seemed to be no way out of this one. An animal was a big responsibility. Impulsive moves involving them always led to heartbreak. Kira had really done it this time. His best friend was staring at him with large, bottle cap round eyes and an expression that might have been comical if it were not for the seriousness of the situation. Athrun was about to ask him if he knew of any nearby pounds or veterinarians that would be able to take care of the dog when a sudden knock at the door made the blood in his veins crystallize instantly. He exchanged alarmed looks with Kira as another knock came.

"Athrun!" the voice of Kira's mom called from the other side of the door. "Athrun, get your stuff together, your mother's here to pick you up!" Already? Wow, she was early this evening!

"Thanks, Mrs Yamato!" Athrun managed, proud that his voice had not come out too hoarse. "I'll be down in a minute!"

He shared another panicked glance with Kira, then stared at the puppy. This little creature was going to cause his best friend's heart to break if he did not do something about it quick. And then a dangerous decision settled itself in his mind. He pulled the baby animal from Kira's arms and stuffed it into the sports bag that still lay open on the bed.

"A-Athrun…?"

"I'm taking him to my house," he whispered as he zipped up the blue bag with determination. "I'll hide him there and we'll figure something out tomorrow!"

"Athrun…"

"Come on, don't just stand there," he hissed urgently, indicating his bags and suitcase with waving arms, "help me get all this stuff downstairs!"

"Thanks, Athrun!"

"Don't mention it."

---

Athrun descended the stairs rather awkwardly with the wriggling bundle under his arm. The puppy itself was not terribly heavy, but keeping all of its frantic squirming out of sight was the difficulty. He ended up pulling his jacket close around him to cover the unnaturally active sports bag's movements. His mother was standing in the front door, talking to Mrs Yamato. Her delicate features were creased with a slight frown and she was jingling her car keys on an open palm as she often did when she was worried. Athrun could hear Kira's heavy breathing behind him. He did not think Kira was sweating because Athrun's bags were such a weight to carry. Kira was nervous about being found out.

"…and didn't finish his food either, but—" Mrs Yamato interrupted herself with an ill-timed sneeze. "Oh, excuse me. I don't know what's the matter with me. My head's been fuzzy all afternoon."

"Are you sure _you're_ all right?" Athrun's mother asked, laying a concerned hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'll be fine!" she chirped in reply. "It's just a bit stuffy in here, that's all!" Another sneeze ended her sentence somewhat abruptly. Athrun noticed his mother arch an elegant eyebrow at that, but she seemed to dismiss any suspicions she might have had the moment she noticed the two boys coming down the stairs.

"Athrun!" she breathed, darting toward him before he could even open his mouth to speak. "Aunt Cari tells me you're not feeling well…"

_Gee, word travels fast…_ he thought dryly, a sweat drop sliding down the side of his cheek. At least that explained why his mother was here to fetch him so early. It required effort not to make a face. His scheme had well and truly backfired, to put it mildly. He made a mental note never to eat that slowly at Kira's house ever again.

"You seem all right…" she murmured with a hand to his forehead. Athrun strained not to pull away from his mother's embrace as the puppy came very close to being sandwiched between the two of them. "I don't want to take any chances, though. You're going straight to bed." Athrun fought the urge to complain. Bedtime was hours away! And to think he had gotten _himself_ into a mess like this! It was kind of humiliating. A good thing, then, that he was the only one who knew the truth. Even Kira's eyes held a touch of concern. "Say goodnight to everyone."

"Goodnight, Mrs Yamato. Goodnight, Kira…"

---

Lenore Zala stole a glance at her son in the rear-view mirror. He kept his eyes lowered and his hands were wrapped around himself under his jacket, like he might be cold. Shifting her eyes back to the road again, she considered taking Athrun to a doctor, just to be sure. She had had such a fright when Caridad phoned her at work and said that Athrun was acting strange, she deserved some peace of mind. He had been limping down the stairs, and poor Kira had been carrying all of his bags. Maybe she was fretting needlessly. Patrick always went on about how Coordinators did not fall ill so easily and how she should stop fussing over the boy so much. Still, no matter what her husband said, Athrun was her only son. It was her right as a mother to be a little overprotective from time to time.

"Should we stop by the clinic to have you examined?" she asked over her shoulder. "Fasten your seatbelt, honey." She was not sure which of her two sentences had startled Athrun more, but his meadow green eyes were suddenly wide open. He seemed to have trouble getting the seatbelt hooked around him. For some reason he was only using his one arm. Something was definitely off. For one thing, Athrun never forgot to fasten his seatbelt. He was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"I'm just tired, Mother," he assured her. "Please, don't be concerned." His soft voice made her smile. At least he sounded all right. She nodded to herself. Athrun was not the kind of boy who would lie to his mother.

---

Athrun felt infinitely guilty about lying to his mother like that. He really wanted to tell her about the puppy, but he was afraid she might make him take it to a pound before Kira had the chance to say goodbye. So he had laboured up the grand staircase to the second floor the moment his mother had unlocked the front door. He could not afford the dog making a sound and giving him away, so he had rushed up the stairs with all his bags and the dog under his arm. It had been a bit reckless of him, he admitted. At least he had made it to the top, mercifully not breaking his neck.

Now he was safely in his bedroom, resting his back against the closed door. Carefully, he unzipped Kira's sports bag to let out the little bugger who had caused so much drama today. It crawled out a little woozily, probably disoriented from the car trip, and not to mention being zipped up in a bag. Gleaming button nose in the air, it sniffed at its new surroundings with interest.

"Satomi, is it?" he murmured as he scratched the puppy's floppy ear. It pressed its silky head to his hand affectionately. For a moment he wondered why Kira had chosen the name. The rain was streaming from the skies at a steady drizzle by now. Raindrops pattered lightly against the windows. He could easily understand what Kira was thinking when he decided to take the dog home. It would have been cruel to leave it out in this weather. The puppy let out a small whine, as if it could read his thoughts. It rolled over for him to stroke its belly. Complying absently, Athrun began formulating a plan to get the little animal something to eat.

---

He waited until well after eleven o' clock before he sneaked down the staircase on tiptoe. His mother was usually asleep by then, having to get up for work very early in the morning. Careful not to make a sound – although the rain did a good job disguising his footsteps – Athrun took his first step into the kitchen, and shivered. The tiled floor was cool underneath his bare feet. For a moment, he wished he had thought to put on slippers, or at least his socks. The refrigerator was a dark, surprisingly ghostly mound humming its monotonous tune at the other end of the room. He dared not switch on the lights, though. He was not about to give himself away that easily. And besides, there was nothing to be scared of. This was _his_ house, after all. He had nothing to fear in his own home. Although, Kira's house sometimes felt more like home to him than this place did. Most evenings, he and Kira would both be asleep already by the time Athrun's mother came to fetch him. Since she worked late, he ended up spending more time at Mrs Yamato's house than his own. It was no surprise that Athrun and Kira felt more like brothers than best friends.

He opened the cool, moonlight white slab in front of him as if disarming a bomb that might detonate at any moment. The kitchen was flooded in dim light from the interior bulb of the refrigerator, and the vibration came louder with the door open. He knew exactly what he was looking for as his eyes scanned the pure white racks inside. Finally, they locked on to a container that held some leftovers. He hoped puppies could eat this kind of food. It was better than nothing, though. Sneaking a saucer from one of the top cabinets, he poured a bit of water into that and pressed the door of the refrigerator closed quietly before tiptoeing out of the kitchen.

_Mission accomplished!_ he cheered silently. Just as he passed the phone in the hall, it gave a loud ring. It felt so loud in the sleeping house that the sound alone was enough to make Athrun jump. He almost dropped the saucer, but managed to spill only a few drops before regaining himself. Without thinking, he snatched up the receiver just so the thing would be quiet. Only after a brief moment did he remember to put it to his ear.

"Zala residence… Athrun speaking," he answered cautiously. Instead of a reply, an ominous shuffling sound came from the other side, making his heart bounce hard against his ribs and back. Who would call at this time of night? Could it be his father? There was a time difference between PLANT and the moon, but his father would do the math, and he would be in serious trouble just for being up so late, never mind keeping a puppy up in his bedroom. "Hello?" Still no reply. Very strange. Had it been his father, he surely would have said something. Who was this? By now, his heart was using his ribcage for a xylophone. "Who's there?"

"It's me!" a lowered voice hissed from the other end of the line. _No way…_

"Kira!?" Athrun almost forgot to whisper. He sank to the floor with the phone still pressed to his ear. Whether it was out of sheer relief or because his legs still felt like jelly, he was not really sure. "What are you doing calling in the middle of the night?" It was hard not to sound angry. He was not angry with Kira, but the shock had filled his voice with a tone his best friend could easily mistake for anger.

"Sorry…" Kira's voice whispered. "I just wanted to know if everything's okay. How's Satomi doing?"

"I was going to take him some food right now," Athrun replied evenly. He was not about to tell Kira that this midnight phone call of his had nearly botched the entire operation. "Does your mom know you're calling?"

"…no," his friend admitted after a long silence. _Thought so._

"He was sleeping when I left," Athrun continued. "I better go. He might wake up any minute."

"Athrun?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you…" His friend's voice faltered halfway through the sentence. He could hear Kira draw a deep breath before carrying on. "Have you come up with a plan yet…?"

"Not yet," Athrun confessed guiltily. "But I'll think of something before tomorrow! You'll see!" _What have I gotten myself into?_

"OK!" Kira's voice sounded relieved. "See you at school tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Athrun replied, "see you."

"And… thanks, Athrun!"

"No problem."

He placed the receiver back onto the telephone quietly, picked up the saucer and leftovers and proceeded sneaking back to his room. He was halfway up the stairs when a thin, howling sound reached his ears. _Oh no!_ The puppy must have woken up and realized it was alone! Taking the stairs two at a time, he had trouble stemming a curdle of fear swimming around in his middle as he wondered how long the dog had been making that noise before his ears had picked it up. As he rounded the corner, he could hear the dog scratching frantically at his bedroom door, trying to claw its way out. Urgent to get the animal to pipe down, he yanked the door open. A small, black shadow darted past his legs and sped down the hall. Gasping in shock, he tried to grab it, but he was too slow. Abandoning the bowl with the food and the saucer that lay face down on the carpet, he dashed after the rapidly disappearing shadow. He did not try to call out to it. Aside from waking his mother, yelling would achieve nothing. There was no way the dog would know its name yet.

Squinting at the escaping puppy in order not to lose sight of it in the darkness, he tried his best not to run into anything during his pursuit. It skidded around a corner, and in a last-ditch attempt to stop the puppy from running into his mother's bedroom, Athrun dived after it with outstretched arms. His fingers managed to grasp the plump little shape just in time. _Gotcha!_ And then the leg of a small, round table flitted into view. He had only a split-second to brace himself for the impact. With a grunt, he collided with the piece of furniture, and there was a thunderous racket. Groaning, he rubbed his head – there was going to be a lump, he could feel it._Wait a minute…_ His eyes grew wide. _The table in the hall in front of Mother's—_ Too late. As he looked around him, he could count dozens of frail porcelain shards lying scattered on the floor. Athrun swallowed hard. The last time he had accidentally smashed one of his mother's prized pieces of pottery had been at the age of seven, but he remembered the punishment like it had been only yesterday. There was a click from the light switch, and blinding light filled his vision. His eyes had trouble adjusting to the sudden brightness, but he could make out the intimidating figure of his mother very cleary as she towered over him in her nightgown, her fists planted in her hips indignantly.

"Athrun Zala, just what is the meaning of this!?"

Cowering in his arms, the dog let out an inferior whimpering sound. Athrun thought he might do the same.

---

Early the next morning, Kira stood in front of the school gates, waiting for his best friend to arrive. Resting his back against the wall, he scanned the street for any traces of a slight boy with dark blue hair and startlingly green eyes, but nothing. With a great yawn, he plopped his suitcase down on the ground next to him – the thing was getting heavy – and propped his arms behind his head. It was not that he had stayed up late to make that phone call. It had been the inability to fall asleep that had driven him to call Athrun in the middle of the night. He hoped Satomi was okay. He knew Athrun would take good care of the puppy, but he still worried.

He was about to decide that Athrun must still have felt a bit sick and stayed at home today, when his friend appeared from around a corner. Pale and weary-eyed, with a big band-aid and several small scratches on his face, Athrun looked more like he had been wrestling a bear than babysitting a puppy.

"Athrun, what happened!?" Kira cried as he jogged to his friend's side. "You look terrible!" He sucked in a sharp breath when he could not locate the blue sports bag they had carried the puppy in the previous night. He was almost too afraid to ask. "Where's Satomi…?"

"At home," Athrun replied, wiping his eyes sleepily. Kira himself was battling another yawn. He fell into step with his best friend and they headed for a nearby bench. There were still fifteen minutes to go before the first school bell would ring, anyway.

"But won't your mom see him?" he insisted.

"Too late," Athrun said slowly. "She's already seen him." Kira felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "After I chased him up and down in the hall and managed to knock over one of my mother's priceless antique vases…" His friend sighed dejectedly.

"Then…?" Kira tried to catch a glimpse of his best friend's eyes while plunking himself onto the bench, but they eluded him. "She was kind of angry, wasn't she…?"

"To say the least…" Athrun remarked as he sat down on the bench. He winced and jumped up instinctively as soon as he touched it, though. With another grimace, he lowered himself onto the bench ever so gently. Something told Kira that poor Athrun would be sitting carefully for the rest of the day.

"I… thought your dad was the only one who gave hidings…?" Kira prodded guiltily. He was the one who had caused this mess, after all.

"Evidently not," Athrun cringed in reply. When he looked up, a bright smile lit up his face, though. "But we had a talk afterwards. You and I get to keep Satomi."

"What!?" he squeaked, his heart fluttering in his throat. "Y-You mean it!? We can keep him!?"

"On the condition that we care for him on our own." Kira thought he would burst with joy. He nodded eagerly for Athrun to continue. "He'll be staying at my house, since your mom's allergic and everything," Athrun explained. "After school, we'll stop by there to take care of him before heading for your house." A mischievous glint suddenly entered his friend's eyes. "I've taken the liberty of dividing the tasks between the two of us." He pulled a piece of folded paper from his pocket and handed it to Kira. Unfolding the note, Kira eagerly scanned the list of duties. His and Athrun's tasks were organized in his best friend's neat handwriting, divided between two fairly equal-looking columns. It was just like Athrun to think this through so thoroughly. Everything Kira could think of was in there, from bathing the dog to taking it for regular walks, training, disciplining, playing, feeding… Even—

"Huh? 'Lawn duty'? What's that?" he wondered out loud. Athrun's expression alone was explanation enough. "Oh, that…" Well, it was also something that had to be done, Kira supposed. "Wait a sec…" He ran his eyes along the list again to double check. "How come you don't have lawn duty!?" The mischievous twinkle in his friend's green eyes speedily developed to the intensity of a smirk.

"Because I had to go through this," he replied matter-of-factly, indicating the ground zero of his punishment. Kira wanted to argue, but since Athrun _had_ done him a huge favour in taking the puppy home with him, he supposed he could live with picking up dog poo for the rest of his life. "You'll have to pay for this month's supply of dog food too, since I won't be getting an allowance any time soon."

"Heh!?" was all Kira could manage. Athrun's mom must have really been upset over that vase.

"Looks like you'll have to forget about 'Battle Aniki IV' for a while."

"B-But…!"

He was cut off by the bell announcing the start of the school day. Kira smiled at Athrun as the two of them gathered their suitcases and headed for class. He might not have all the video games he would have liked, but he had a puppy of his very own, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for!


	3. Phase03: Winning Streak

**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and all its characters belong to their respective owners. **

**Phase 03: Winning Streak**

His breath was racing, his brown hair was in his face and sweat stung his amethyst eyes, but he was determined. His muscles were working rhythmically as he sped toward his goal, unwavering. Students around him were cheering wildly as he pushed himself closer and closer to the finishing line. The summer sun beat down on the race track as if it meant to slow him, but Kira Yamato was aware of nothing but the adrenaline flooding his veins and the sound of the roaring crowd in his ears. He crossed the white chalk line with as much grace as his exhausted body could muster, nearly tripping over his own feet to land on his nose when he came to such a sudden stop.

"Wow, you made excellent time!"

"Awesome!"

He spun around to give the cheering fans a smile, which quickly melted into a flustered frown as he realized that no one was even looking in his direction. A large sweat drop made its way down his cheek; most of the kids from the crowd were clustered around the slim, dark-haired boy Kira called his best friend. Athrun was towelling his damp forehead and smiling modestly. Despite having outrun Kira, Athrun did not look the least bit tired. He felt only a slight stab of jealousy over that. _He_ was so drained he thought he would topple over! He quickly smothered that feeling. Jealousy was a destructive emotion, however fleeting. And besides, he did not want to be jealous of his best friend.

"_Another_ track record, Athrun?" exclaimed Alex Tanin, one of Kira's other friends who had also been participating in the race, as he jogged up beside Kira. His voice teemed with awe. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were practicing!"

Kira grinned proudly at his best friend's accomplishment and stepped forward to join the crowd. Getting a closer look, he noticed that Athrun's navy blue hair was slick with sweat too, and liquid pearls dotted his forehead despite the towel. Athrun was just as tired as Kira, he just hid it well.

"Maybe a little," Athrun admitted, allowing his smile to broaden for a moment. It was just like Athrun to be so humble. _His ego only pops out when no one else is around to see it_, Kira thought with a wry grin. Athrun turned to him with an enthusiastic smile. "You did great too, Kira!"

Kira just shook his head. Having looked around the sports field, he had long since realized that he had not even made _second_ place, or third.

"Guess they don't call him Ath-_run_ for nothing!" Jordi quipped, approaching from the sidelines. "You better slow down, Athrun! This is only practice after all! Leave some records for the little guys!"

Athrun graced the new arrival with an incredulously raised eyebrow. Jordi hated athletics like cats hate water.

"You sure have a lot to say for someone who just came to picnic next to the race track," was Athrun's smooth reply. Kira expected the round-faced kid to blush at least a little, but Jordi's grin only stretched even broader. Despite how much he ate, Jordi was not really overweight, but rather just healthily plump. Standing beside them, he made Athrun and Kira look like twigs, though.

"I saved some for you guys!" he boasted. "Who wants some of the kitchen lady's famous super duper ultra delicious beef-and-vegetable sandwiches!?"

Kira felt his stomach grumble loudly. He did not know whether it was his extreme exhaustion causing this reaction or hearing the name of the most famous snack in moon boarding school history. But as he reached a hand out to take the delicious-looking bread, Athrun popped into view so fast Kira almost fell over backwards.

"You can't eat that, Kira!" Athrun cried, his voice filled with horror and his eyes wide.

"Eh? I can't…?" Kira stammered.

"No, you can't!" his best friend repeated firmly.

"W-Well, why not?"

"You could get a stomach cramp!" Athrun exclaimed. "And do you know how dangerous it is to eat right after exercising? It's bad for your heart, you know!"

It sounded a bit ridiculous, yet Athrun's forest green eyes were dead serious. Until Jordi burst out laughing. Athrun rounded on the grinning, yellow-haired boy with absolute indignation.

"Gee, Athrun, I'd swear you thought the thing is poisoned!" Jordi chuckled, his grey eyes twinkling with mirth. "So serious!"

When he turned back, Athrun's expression was as close to sulky as Kira had ever seen him. While Athrun was usually a calm and collected person, Jordi always found a way to get under his sombre exterior. Athrun hated Jordi's teasing for the simple reason that he wanted to be taken seriously. Jordi did so enjoy making fun of Athrun in ways the serious, green-eyed boy despised. It was never anything vicious; Jordi was not that kind of person, but the worst of it was that Kira thought it was quite funny himself, even if he did not care for any of Jordi's other jokes.

"It's not poisoned!" the mischievous boy said sweetly. "Look!"

And with that, he took a great big bite out of the sandwich Kira's stomach had been yearning for… The amused smile melted off his lips instantly.

"Hey… I wanted to eat that…" he managed pathetically.

Jordi gave him one look and burst out laughing all over again. His laughter was choked off in a big gulp and his eyes suddenly went wide.

"It might not be poisoned," Alex put in from the side, slapping Jordi on his back, hard, and sending the stunned boy into a coughing fit, "but it _will_ kill you if you shove it down the wrong pipe!"

Now it was Jordi's turn to look indignant. Alex was already chatting away about a different subject, completely ignoring the bland look Jordi was trying to give him. Athrun looked… smug. Kira grinned. Leave it to Alex to brighten anyone's day!

Just then, three ominous giggles filled the air. Kira spun around and found himself face to face with the infamous girl trio from their class, Merri-Anne, Elmary, and their notorious leader, Collina. She was finicky, girlish evil personified. Still, she was kind of cute. Kira could almost feel Athrun's elbow poking in his ribs. Of course there was no way for his best friend to know what he was thinking, so his hands were firmly at his sides, but guilt and Kira's imagination planted the feeling of an elbow there in his ribs. Girls were not all evil, after all. Not all girls… Maybe not even Collina. He did get a poke in the ribs, then, but not from Athrun. When he looked to his left, he saw Jordi with an outraged expression on his face. He had not spoken anything aloud, had he? For an instant he felt so embarrassed that he thought he would colour from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. His cheeks did feel very hot.

"Don't look at her like that! She'll think you're asking for trouble!" came Jordi's heated whisper.

Kira felt like he could pass out from pure relief. No one suspected what he had really been thinking. Or did someone? Collina gave him a disdainful look before locking her deadly, green laser sights on Athrun.

"That was a good race," she said icily. Athrun arched a cool eyebrow at the ginger-haired girl. At this, she sniffed and tipped her nose a notch higher into the air. She planted her hands on her hips and turned to Kira. Her stare sent shivers down his spine. "I just thought I'd come to inform you boys that you better make sure our team doesn't lose like last year."

"L-Last year?" Kira parroted, his stomach giving a violent twist.

Collina pinned him with her poisonous gaze and he found himself wishing he had not spoken.

"A terrible incident, that," Elmary noted, her glasses reflecting the glare of the sunlight as she stared down at the boys.

At her shoulder, Merri-Anne nodded gravely, the bouncing of her flame red braids emphasizing the movement.

"I don't appreciate my reputation suffering because _some boy_ couldn't pull his weight," Collina told the air as she spun away from them gracefully, heeled by her two friends — in Kira's opinion, they looked more like two bloodhounds.

Without another word, they sauntered off, their noses tilted so far up that it seemed they would have tripped at any moment if they had not been so graceful. Kira felt like the wind had been punched out of him.

"What was that all about?" Alex's words came out in a whoosh of air, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time.

"I don't know," Athrun lied.

Athrun knew full well what it was about. Last year, their class needed just a few points to get ahead, but then "some boy" — namely Kira — tripped up and they ended up losing. Alex had not been in their class back then, and, mercifully, Jordi had decided to skip that particular athletics meet, otherwise Kira was sure he would never have heard the end of it. He sighed, grateful that Athrun was helping to keep his secret.

"Well, as long as it's got to do with those three, I don't fancy finding out," Jordi piped up, making a face.

Athrun nodded, but he seemed kind of distant, like something was bothering him. Setting aside his girl-related problems for now, Kira resolved to find out what the matter was, later.

The four boys said their goodbyes. Alex waved cheerfully and was off in his usual energetic manner. While Athrun went to fetch their bags, Kira stood watching Jordi make a mad dash for the hostel, hoping to be in time for dinner, his picnic basket flailing beside him. Kira winced. How could anyone enjoy dinner after just gobbling up so many sandwiches?

"For someone who hates athletics, he sure can sprint," Athrun commented as he returned with his and Kira's bags.

"Only when it's about food," Kira laughed. He took his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He was ready to go, but Athrun was fiddling distractedly with the zipper on his own bag. Kira cocked his head at his best friend, trying hard to decipher the intricate puzzle that was Athrun. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

"Huh? W-Well… as a matter of fact…"

"Athrun, what's wrong?" Kira coaxed. "If you'd rather stay home, I don't mind."

He was sure the problem was somehow linked to their sleepover tonight. Athrun was supposed to spend the night over at Kira's house to make their final preparations for the athletics meet, but if Athrun was tired or something, Kira did not want to force him. They would not be able to have much fun that way.

"N-No, no, it's not that!" Athrun defended quickly. "I'd love to come, it's just…" His friend lowered his emerald eyes and his shoulders sagged. "I can't."

Kira felt his eyebrows climb in surprise.

"You can't?" Kira echoed. "Why not? I thought we planned this a long time in advance!"

His best friend graced him with a weak smile.

"That was before I knew Father was coming to visit," he said quietly.

"Your dad's coming?" Kira was proud that he had managed not to sound shaken. He did not want to show his friend that he was afraid of his father. Mr Patrick Zala was strict to the point of harshness, but he was still Athrun's dad.

"He's probably here already." For some reason, his friend sounded sad. "I would have loved to come, but since my father's come all this way, and he doesn't always get a chance to visit, I ought to spend some time with him…"

Well, Kira was not about to let a stern man — who was probably as loving and huggable as Barney once you got to know him — come between him and his best friend. No way!

"I've got an idea! I've always wanted to meet your dad!" Kira encouraged brightly. "Sure, I've seen him a couple of times, but I've never met him in person! Yeah!" He nodded for emphasis. "So why don't I come over to your place instead!?"

"Kira…" Athrun's pupils glittered with an emotion Kira could not exactly identify, but at least it seemed like a good emotion. His lips were on the verge of forming a grateful smile. "You don't mind? Are you sure?"

Kira fixed Athrun with his best grin and nodded reassuringly.

"You bet!"

---

Athrun stood on the front porch of his house, contemplating turning the key in the lock as his eyes involuntarily ran along the sleek, black vehicle that announced his father's presence. His mother would be home. She had taken the day off to spend more time with her husband. He was still amazed at his best friend's incredibly calm reaction at hearing the news. He felt a pang of jealousy at that. He himself had not been so placid upon hearing that his father was coming to watch the athletics. Guiltily, he pushed the feeling down. He refused to be jealous of his good friend's kind heart. Normally Athrun would have been happy that his father was visiting. It made their family whole. But it was that phone call the night before that bothered him…

"_You're coming to the athletics meet, Father?_"

Athrun had been astonished that his father would even come to an event like that. He never attended any of Athrun's school functions.

"_Of course I am!_" his father had enthused, and Athrun thought there was a touch of pride in the man's voice. "_I have to watch my son win his race!_"

Collina's haughty expression flashed though his mind, fuelling the feeling of contempt building inside of him. Gritting his teeth, Athrun squeezed his eyes shut. Was winning the only thing people cared about? Of course, Athrun would have no trouble winning the race tomorrow, but ever since Kira's terrible humiliation the year before, Athrun had made a promise to himself — one he intended to keep. His father's unexpected presence put a different face on the situation, but he would find a way to deal with that.

_There's more to it than that_, he thought as he envisioned how boldly Kira had run, even though he did not even make third place. The image of his best friend's refreshed smile, the look of sheer joy in his laughing eyes as he threw his hands into the air triumphantly upon making it to the finishing line, that image told Athrun that athletics was about something other than winning. Something else entirely.

Athrun shook his head. Surely his father saw that too. Maybe the words had just not come out the way he had meant them. With a sigh, he unlocked the front door and slipped inside.

"I'm home…!" he called out to the silent household.

His parents were probably outside, taking a walk in the garden. Athrun did not want to disturb them. He paused long enough to hang his jacket on the coat rack before trudging up the stairs to get an extra bed ready. Kira would arrive soon, anyway. Watching his parents' stroll from his bedroom window, he realized anew how important it was to their family that his father visited, no matter how briefly. His father was here because he loved them. This was not about the prestige of watching his son win. It was about showing his son that he supported him. It was about the three of them as a family. Athrun did not have to win to please his father, he only needed to give his all.

When he was sure he had himself completely convinced, he turned away from the window.

---

The twinkle was back in Athrun's green eyes when he welcomed his best friend at the front door to his house. Kira was surprised, and a little relieved, at how Athrun's mood had turned itself around since earlier that afternoon. Kira returned Athrun's smile. He had done the right thing to insist on meeting Mr Zala. That was what he thought, at least, until he stood staring up at the man's intimidating countenance. Athrun's dad was a big man, and physical size had nothing to do with it.

It was only until after Athrun had led Kira to his room that Kira managed to take a whole breath. He could not remember two words of his introduction to Mr Patrick Zala. He just felt so infinitely puny being in the man's towering presence. He could not imagine what it had to be like to stand in this man's shadow as his only son. Kira shot Athrun a sidelong look as he began methodically unloading his stuff onto the spare bed. It had to be a scary thought, knowing you had to follow in this person's footsteps, but Athrun took it in his stride and never complained about it. Kira felt a sort of admiration blossoming for his friend. He hoped Athrun had not picked up on his nervousness. That would mean that all of Kira's bravery would have been for nothing.

But Athrun was more cheerful than Kira had seen him in a long time. Though he never talked about it, he probably missed his father an awful lot. Whenever the subject _did_ come up, Athrun would always get a proud smile and say that his father was working hard to make the world a peaceful place for everyone.

At the dinner table, Kira was hard-pressed to remember his best table manners. Even by his high standards, Athrun sat impeccably straight in his chair, with not a hair out of place. Though his friend was precise and formal by nature, Kira had never seen him eat so gracefully before. It felt like he was among royalty. To be truthful, he was beginning to feel more and more left out. With a knot in his stomach, he watched Athrun and his family dine in serene silence, until Athrun's mom spoke.

"Athrun tells me you two have been practicing very hard for the athletics tomorrow," she said, smiling kindly at Kira.

He swallowed the mouthful of food he was still in the process of chewing. Given the atmosphere in the room, it just seemed like an unforgivable sin to talk with food in his mouth.

"Y-Yeah," he managed with a tight smile. "Athrun's been in charge of our regimen." He dared to raise his eyes to meet those of Mr Zala, and was relieved to see that the man had no interest in him, but was instead scrutinizing Athrun thoughtfully. "He can be a hard taskmaster."

That had been a major understatement.

What sprang to mind immediately were the countless mornings of Athrun ringing the doorbell at the crack of dawn and practically dragging Kira out of the kitchen, past the enticing smells of a cinnamon and pancake breakfast feast that would have to wait until after the morning's torment session. The pancakes his mom saved for them were already cold and sticky by the time the two boys returned from their early morning jog, but his loudly complaining stomach had welcomed them anyway. Memories of grainy eyes blearily focused on the seemingly endless pavement in front of his feet made Kira spontaneously renew his vow to never in his life get up early again.

Athrun was a slavedriver! But Kira could hardly say that in front of Mr Zala. He had no idea how the man would take the comment.

"I would expect nothing less from my only son," Athrun's dad said, and Kira thought he saw a glint of pride in the man's eyes.

Something in Athrun's expression conveyed that he read more into his father's words than Kira could grasp, almost like it was an unspoken command not to disappoint. Kira really hoped Athrun won his big race tomorrow, otherwise all of his hard work would have been for nothing. Kira did not mind winning or losing so much, but he knew how hard his friend could be on himself. Kira had started to wonder at Athrun's seemingly boundless reserve of energy throughout their strenuous exercise routine — he had been all but bouncing up and down when Kira could barely lift his feet! — until, one morning, the blue-haired boy fell asleep face-down on the table next to his half-eaten pancake. Athrun often pushed himself further than his body would willingly go, Kira knew. And his best friend had a way of putting on a mask of brave endurance that would fool anybody, except maybe his own mother. But Kira saw how hard Athrun had been working to prepare for this race. He hoped that Athrun's father saw it too.

---

That night, it was quiet for a long time after Athrun had switched off the light and felt his way to his own bed in the dark. Kira lay staring at the ceiling, wondering what kind of person Athrun's father really was. Finally, Athrun spoke up.

"Kira?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

His friend's tone was thoughtful, considering.

Kira turned his head to the shadow-cloaked shape on the other bed, wishing he could make out Athrun's features and maybe get a clue as to what his friend was thinking.

"Nope!" he replied, flipping onto his back and propping his arms under his head. Maybe, if he acted insanely positive, a little bit of optimism might rub off on Athrun and help keep his friend's mood light. "I'm just gonna do the best I can! It'll be fun!"

"But… what about what Collina and those other girls were saying?" Athrun pressed.

Suddenly, all of his optimism evaporated. The memory of Collina's hypnotically beautiful eyes shooting poisoned daggers at him made Kira shudder and blush at the same time. He did not even have strength to try and stop blushing. That familiar twist was back in the pit of his stomach.

"I…"

Even though they were just a couple of silly girls, the way they treated him made him feel like crying. So he was a bit clumsy. People made mistakes. What probably hurt the most, was that the three of them were holding a year-old grudge against him for something he had not done on purpose. What if they lost again, because of him? Collina would tell everyone just who had lost them the top spot. Everyone who did not already know. Kira did not think he could live with the humiliation. He could already imagine the sort of cracks Jordi would make, and he did not find the prospect funny at all. They would tease him for the rest of the year, no for the rest of his life!

"You'll show them, Kira!" Athrun's forceful whisper broke the silence. "All that training was _not_ for nothing!"

"Athrun?"

Kira goggled at his friend in the darkness. And all this time, he had thought Athrun was the one who needed optimism! The certainty with which his friend reassured him now seemed to come out of nowhere, but Kira found himself feeling comforted by it.

---

Kira was quiet. Athrun could sense his best friend's whole being relax as the words of encouragement sank in. Collina's cruel words had truly hurt Kira. Athrun felt a little ashamed of himself that he had not realized it sooner. He had been so caught up in worrying about his father's sudden visit that he had completely forgotten about their encounter with the pack of girls earlier that day. The very reason he had come up with the idea of a fitness regimen in the first place, had been to help Kira overcome last year's tripping incident, though Kira did not know that.

"Don't let them walk over your feelings, Kira," he continued to assure his friend. _I'll make sure they don't…_ he vowed silently. "Now go to sleep, we need to be well rested for the race."

"Okay!" Kira replied. "Good night, Athrun!"

"Good night…"

He would make sure Kira impressed everyone tomorrow, even if it meant giving up his own glory. He was not sure what his father would think of that notion, only that he would not like it. But Athrun's mind was made up. He could not go back on a promise, not even one he had never spoken aloud. Kira would be everyone's hero tomorrow.

---

The next morning, crowds of eager students and anticipating parents were gathered at the sports field. Though all the action was on the racing track, most of the kids gathered there constantly had their eyes on the scoreboard. Athrun's best friend was no exception. The closer the two scores came to one another, the more Kira squirmed in his seat on the pavilion. The situation was perfect for Athrun's plan to succeed. If their team had been winning anyway, there would have been no point in carrying through.

But luck was on Athrun's side. By the time it was their turn to run, the scores of the two teams were equal. He could see Kira start to sweat when their names were being called out. He lightly patted his nervous friend's shoulder.

"Just do your best," he whispered as he passed Kira to his starting block. _I'll do the rest…_ He noticed Kira's eyes on him as he assumed his ready position. He would have to put on a good show.

The shot rang in his ears and he sped off at his best pace. One look darted in Kira's direction told him that his friend had drawn confidence from Athrun's good start. Kira was matching him stride for stride. He could feel a sort of pride swelling in his chest as the two of them left the other athletes behind in the dust. For the short moments they were running alongside one another, the wind whipping past their ears, it felt as if they were flying instead. If Kira could keep this up, their team would win without a hitch! He became aware of their fellow team mates cheering them on. He could hear them screaming his name.

That was about to change.

Steadily, he slackened his pace. Not by much, just enough for Kira to gain a reasonable advantage. The crowd roared Kira's name as he took the lead. Keeping his pace second only to Kira's, Athrun let his eyes take in the cheering masses. Collina and her friends were standing in a neat little cluster, their noses in the air, as always, but their dignity had cracked and was leaking wide-eyed surprise. They would not be bullying Kira again after this! Mrs Yamato was also among the supporters, laughing and waving as she watched her son dash towards the finishing line.

And then he saw them.

The only pair of eyes that was not laughing. Athrun missed a step as his father's eyes drilled into him, saw right through him. He lost his balance. Time seemed to slow as he was pinned by those eyes. Athrun tried in vain to secure his footing. There was no way his father could have known that he was letting Kira win on purpose. A sharp pain shot up his leg as he sprained his ankle. His father's gaze glittered strongly with disapproval.

Patrick Zala looked on as Athrun hit the ground.

---

He crossed the finishing line, heart thundering. With a great smile on his face, he spun, his arm half-raised to slap a high five with the person who had helped to make this moment possible, only to realize that Athrun was no longer right beside him. Confused, Kira searched for his best friend. His eyes found Athrun, a defeated bundle on the ground in the middle of the racing track. Head down, he had his arms wrapped around his one leg, nursing a badly scraped knee. On the sidelines, directly across from Athrun, the unmistakable figure of Mr Zala stood watching.

Kira half-expected the man to approach his son and stroke his hair, scoop him up and carry him to the first aid tent. That was what_his_ father would have done. Athrun's dad had a frigid look in his eyes as he turned around and walked away from his son. Kira sucked in his breath sharply and ran.

"Athrun!" he cried, nearly tripping himself as he rushed to his friend's side.

Athrun kept his head down, his face hidden away by his hair.

"I'm fine…" he whispered.

He pushed himself to his feet and limped in the direction of the pavilion, absently shooing the medical staff trying to attend to his leg. Stunned beyond words, Kira stared after him.

---

A week had passed since the athletics meet had come to a dramatic close. Their team had won by a hair's breadth. Kira was the hero of the day. At least that much of it had worked out according to plan. His father had returned to PLANT without saying a word about the race, even when Athrun's mother asked him about it. He never gave any sign of knowing that Athrun had rigged the race, but whether he knew or not, he was disappointed in his son. That much was clear to Athrun. He could not help but wonder if anything but first place would ever be good enough for Patrick Zala.

The two boys were sitting in Kira's room, doing their homework. Kira had been uncharacteristically quiet all day. Athrun was just focusing on a particularly complicated problem when Kira spoke.

"Why did you do it, Athrun?" he asked in the direction of the worksheet on the desk.

"Do… what?" Athrun hesitated.

"Throw the race, I mean," Kira said softly. "Why'd you do it?"

Athrun could feel the colour drain from his face. Wide-eyed, he stared at Kira.

"I didn't— I mean…" He bit his lip, trying hard to think of a way to change the subject. "Why would I do something like that?" he asked, battling to mask his shock behind an innocent expression.

"Alex told me he saw you running at full speed when you suddenly let up so I could pass you," Kira explained.

"I… tripped," Athrun defended lamely.

"He wouldn't lie, Athrun," Kira reasoned. "He's been watching us practice from day one, remember? We all know how good you are."

"I…" Athrun took a breath, then plunged ahead. "I wanted them to stop teasing you about what happened last year! I wanted to—"

Kira looked up, then, and Athrun gasped at the betrayed look in his best friend's eyes. He had suffered something worse than defeat — a hollow victory. He should have looked like he wanted to hit Athrun, but he just looked hurt. Somehow, Athrun found that he would have preferred it if Kira just hit him.

"What did we do all that training for, if you were going to let me win anyway?" he asked slowly. "How would you feel if someone did that to you?"

"Kira… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you," he admitted. _What kind of a stupid apology was that?_ he silently berated himself. _And what was I thinking?_ He felt like a jerk for cheating his best friend like that.

He wanted to hit his head against something.

Hard.

"Apology accepted!" Kira said, surprising Athrun by clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Wha— What?" he spluttered. "Just like that!?"

"I know you were only trying to help," his best friend replied with a genuine smile. "I just wanted to let you know how it made me feel." Kira's eyes took on a playful light. "Besides, I couldn't let you get away with putting me through cold pancake hell for nothing!"

"You think I enjoyed getting up at five o'clock every morning to haul your sleepy carcass out of bed!?" Athrun laughed, infinitely relieved that Kira had let him off the hook so easily.

"I _know_ you did," Kira snorted, apparently unaware that he had just taught Athrun a valuable lesson in life.


End file.
